Car-coupling



(N0 Model.)

J, A. DICKINSON.

Gar Coupling.

No. 231,216. Patented Aug. 17, 1880.

WITNESSES M c/ I H 7W ATTORNEY N-FETERS, FHOTILLITHDGRAPHER. WAS

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. DICKINSON, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

CAR-COUPLING.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 231,216, dated August 17', 1880.

Application filed July 12, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. DIcKINsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of the draw-head or bumper, making the act of coupling automatic, thus obviating the danger of accident to the person employed in this work, also enabling cars of different heights to be coupled or uncoupled with greater facility. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of the drawhead. Fig. 2 is a top view of the draw-head. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ratch B. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tumbler A.

The coupling consists in a draw-head or bumper with such additions and changes that it guides its own link and couples itself, and will take cars of different heights, and thus avoid the necessity of a man going between the cars to guide the link 0 to couple, thereby avoiding danger and a frequent cause of serious accident in the ordinary forms of carcouplers.

The above-named additions consist in the ratch-block B, opening B in top of drawhead, the tumbler A, and the two cavities E in the draw-head. The cavity E in the top of the draw-head begins in front of the hole for the pin D, and goes back far enough for the tumbler A to play in, and is high enough for the pivot i 011 which the tumbler swings to be above the beveled mouth of bumper H, so that the link 0, coming from any angle, will hit below the pivot 27, and be sure to throw the tumbler A and permit the pin D to drop into the link 0. The other cavity, E, in the bottom of bumper H is for ratch-block B to set in, and link 0 set on different angles, and the hole B in the top of bumper for ratch-block B to protrude, so that it can play if any strain comes on the link 6, and as it holds the link 0 by its own weight, the link cannot get bent or broken.

The tumbler A is hung on a pivot, 2', in cavity E, high enough, for reasons given above,

(No model.)

so that its own weight keeps it, when at rest, in a plumb or vertical position, holding pin D in the groove G and in position ready to fall when link 0 trips the tumbler A from under it, thereby allowing pin D to fall and catch the link 0. The tumbler A is then in a horizontal position, its weight bearing against the pin D, ready to fall when the pin D is raised and the link 0 withdrawn, thus catching and resetting the pin D. As the act of uncoupling resets the pin D it is always ready. There is a chain, N, fast to top of pin D, and runs down and is fastened to bumper H, the chain being just long enough to allow the pin D to be raised high enough to reset, but not long enough to permit the pin D to come out entirely. An additional chain from the top of pin D is made long enough to reach to the top of cars or platform, which enables the car to be uncoupled from the top at night and in the dark, and the coupling is then reset, so that a man may run along the train and set the link 0 according to the different heights of bumpers, signaling the engineer to back up and connect the entire train, thus doing away with the necessity of a man standing between the cars to make the coupling.

The cresent-shaped or semicircular opening G in the tumbler A permits the pin D to drop more readily when the tumbler A is struck in the act of coupling by the link 0.

The pin D is made of an oval or elliptical cross-section to prevent its turning, and thereby wrapping the chain N. In this shape it also presents a round bearing, so as not to cut or wear the link 0. It is also stronger.

It will be observed that there is not a single spring in any part of this coupler liable to break or get out of order.

The cavities E not only permit the tumbler A to play on its pivoti and the block B to drop below the mouth of the bumper H, but they also leave an open space for the link 0 to be set at greater angles in coupling high and low cars, and I attach a good deal of importance to making the draw-heads in this manner, and also to having the coupling-pin D of the shape shown and described, as in this form it does not turn and wrap the chain upon itself, and having the chain N just long enough to allow the coupling-pin D to be lifted so that the tumbler A can fall into place, and short enough to prevent the pin being entirely withdrawn, as it might be in the dark.

I also attach great importance to having the ratch-block B movable, and so fitted to the opening B that it is permitted to have a vertical movement up and down, and thus hold the link 0 by its own weight and at any desired angle, as shown by the dotted lines in drawings, Fig.1. This movement of the block B allows it to give to any sudden strain, and adds greatly to the safetyof the various parts in preventing breakage. The semicircular opening G in the tumbler A facilitates the setting and. dropping of the coupling-pin l), and permits the backward movement of the tumbler A to be more easily made when struck by the coupling-link (Jin the act of coupling the cars.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The bumper or draw-head I], provided with recesses E E at top and bottom, and having an opening at the top, B, for the intro duction of a ratelrblock, B, so arranged that said block B is permitted to slide up and down and adjust itself automatically to any strain on the link 0 when ears of different heights are being coupled together, as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a car-coupler, of a draw-head having recesses E E at top and bottom, and an opening, B, so arranged that the ratch-block B may have a vertical motion, and a tumbler, A, provided with a groove, G, and a semicircular opening, G, in its front side, and hung upon a pivot, 'i, in the recess E upon the inside of the draw-head 11, so that it will swing clear of the link 0 and allow the coupling-pin l) to drop into the opening of coupling 0, as shown and described.

JOHN A. DICKINSON.

Witnesses JOHN A. KAUNE, WM. A. Scnmrr. 

